Tag Archives: Europe GAA

Prague was the destination for our Gaelic footballers last weekend for the penultimate round of the Central/East Europe Championship and there was an air of mystery about this adventure.

The men, following victory in Zürich, came into the weekend top of the table but knew maintaining this position would be far from straightforward considering many of the ‘first-choice’ players were unavailable, but this granted an opportunity to a whole new bunch of men to step up and make their mark.

As for the ladies, they were travelling with arguably their strongest team of the year to date, but the one-off addition of Holland and Belgium to the mix meant progressing to the semi-finals in their 10-team competition would be a big ask.

Early shock sets men straight

Vienna’s men made sure of their spot in the semi-finals with victories against Zürich and the Italian combination of Lazio/Padova, but suffered defeat against the hosts in the final group game, forcing the guys to regroup ahead of the knockout rounds.

Two victories (against Rovigo and Prague) and two defeats (against Berlin and eventual winners Holland) was the ladies’ return for their efforts in the group, which wasn’t enough for a semi-final spot on the day, but did set up a date with Zürich, a key match in the overall rankings.

Playoff wins all around

Victory over our Swiss friends meant a fifth place finish on the day and a jump up to third in the regional standings for the women’s team.

Laura Sinnott earned herself one of the tournament’s MVP awards, capping off the team’s strongest showing of the season so far.

The men were left with no substitutes for their semi-final against Berlin, but recent times have shown us that Vienna love semi-finals against Berlin and this occasion was no different. Trailing by two points in the final minute, Tristan Deppe popped up with the winning goal to secure a berth in the final against Prague.

Vienna atoned for their earlier defeat by overcoming exhaustion and the hosts’ best efforts to win 0-8 to 0-3, claim a second consecutive tournament victory and increase the lead at the top of the overall standings. John Baxter was rewarded for his fine performances on the day with an MVP award, the third event in a row in which Gaels player has earned one.

Next up is the 4th Annual Slovak Shamrocks GAA Invitational, played in Bratislava on 17 June, giving our teams a chance to enjoy some 7-a-side football as there are even rumours circulating about a hurling match.

The final stop for this year’s regional championship is Munich on 1 July and a strong squad is expected to make the journey as Vienna look to gather momentum and confidence for this year’s Pan-European Championship.

Vienna Gaels’ men went one step further than April’s final defeat last weekend in Zürich, winning Round 2 of the Central/East Europe Gaelic football championship on 6 April and storming to the top of the ranking.

The Gaels travelled to Switzerland with the biggest men’s squad in recent years, while the ladies joined forces with Prague Hibernians for the day.

After getting the day off to a perfect start with a comprehensive win over Geneva, the men were shaken by a 1-8 to 2-5 draw with Lazio. This proved the perfect wake-up call and was followed by a 12-point victory against the hosts.

The Vienna/Prague ladies combination struggled to score early in the day, which cost them dearly in matches against Zürich and Munich, where there was no major gap in ability.

Berlin/Basel proved to be the toughest test of the day as the eventual tournament winners scored six goals, but the ladies ended the group with a 3-3 to 1-4 win over Lazio.

Immediately afterwards came the 3/4 place playoff against Zürich. Although the Vienna/Prague side had become a true team at this stage, fatigue and lack of depth in the squad took its toll and the hosts ran out five-point winners.

A pair of German clubs stood in between Vienna’s men and a first tournament win since 2015 and they proved to be two very different matches.

While Munich were dispatched in a straightforward manner, 2-12 to 0-2, the final against Berlin was far from simple and it was a single goal which separated the sides after 30 minutes of football, the Gaels running out 2-7 to 1-7 winners.

The victory puts Vienna in a very healthy position in the men’s championship, with two rounds left to play (3 June in Prague and 1 July in Munich), while the ladies will hope for a full squad in the upcoming rounds to break into the top three.

The teams are confirmed and the schedule is set for the first Gaelic football tournament of the season!

With more than 30 men’s players making themselves available for Vienna Gaels on 8 April, the squad had to be split in two – the Gaels and the Vipers.

And the schedule has thrown out a cracking start to Saturday morning’s play at Rudolf-Tonn Stadion in the form of an all-Vienna clash.

After months of training side by side, the two sides must face-off at 09:00 hrs, before taking on Group A’s remaining contenders: Munich, Prague and Lazio.

Group B consists of four teams with the highlight encounter between Berlin and Warsaw at 11:00 hrs, while Slovak Shamrocks and the combined Augsburg/Zurich/Basel team will try to upset the odds.

The top two sides from each group will contest the semi-finals and the final is scheduled to take place around 15:30 hrs.

Warsaw the team to beat

There’s always a degree of intrigue and uncertainty when Cumann Warszawa’s ladies team come to town. Having won their one and only tournament last year on home soil, they arrive in Vienna with two teams this weekend and both are certain to make an impact.

Vienna’s ladies find themselves in Group B alongside Berlin, Prague and Warsaw B, a perfect test to measure how far they have come since the end of last season.

Defending champions Munich Colmcilles are in Group A alongside Slovak Shamrocks, Warsaw’s A team and a combined team featuring six Vienna players and Zurich.

The top two sides from each group will contest the semi-finals and the final is scheduled to take place around 17:00 hrs.

The full schedule for both men’s and ladies’ competitions can be found below.

We’re just one week away from the beginning of the Central/Eastern European Gaelic football season and the opening tournament in Vienna on 8 April is shaping up nicely.

Over 200 players representing 10 clubs from Italy, Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Poland and Czech Republic as well as the hosts from Austria will compete for the first bragging rights of the season and vital points for the overall championship – which consists of four events between April and July.

52 Vienna Gaels players are expected to play in the tournament and that high number has helped training reach another level over the past weeks as competition to get on to the ‘A’ teams next week has intensified.

Vienna’s men’s team, two-time defending regional champions, are certain to be pushed to their limits by last year’s runners-up Berlin, Warsaw’s big and youthful squad, while Slovak Shamrock’s showed us their team is on the up after a promising second round of the winter league.

Bad news, however, for Augsburg as 2016’s surprise package and arguably the most impressive side in the region appear severely depleted this year and travel with a meagre squad.

The Gaels’ ladies team has a fresh look this season with at least six new players set to play in the tournament.

A home tournament is the perfect introduction to the competition for the team and they will have an opportunity to test themselves against European powerhouses Munich and Warsaw as well as their Slovak neighbours.

The third edition of the Austro-Slovak Indoor Winter League proved to be another enjoyable and useful start to the season for the Vienna Gaels and neighbours Slovak Shamrocks.

After February’s opening round in Vienna was a one-sided day in favour of the Gaels, the second half of the competition saw the Slovaks fight back on home court.

All three Vienna teams were level on points after the opening round of matches in the men’s competition, but didn’t have it all their own way in Bratislava.

The Slovak sides enjoyed some success after unleashing some new talent, but couldn’t break into the top three on the overall table.

The Yellow Tits – led by the ferocious defence of Justin “Terminator” Walker and unrelenting pace of Bernie “The Body” Motal – were the most consistent side throughout the league and deservedly picked up first place ahead of the Robin Redbreasts, who were thwarted with a draw against Slovakian side Dalilicious.

Men Wins Draws Losses Points Difference League Points

Yellow Tits 6 0 2 +23 12

Robin Red Breasts 5 1 2 +32 11

Blue-Footed Boobies 4 0 4 +6 8

Dailicious 3 1 4 -11 7

Michalksa Brana 1 0 7 -27 2

The women’s competition could not have been any closer at the conclusion as both Slovak sides ended the second round level on points, one ahead of Vienna’s Black Mambas.

Only points difference could separate Lienka and Ladybirds at the end of the day and it was Lienka who were more prolific in front of goal and took top spot.

The tight competition is ideal preparation for both clubs as they ready their new squads for the tough women’s regional championship.

Ladies Wins Draws Losses Points Difference League Points

Lienka 3 1 3 7 7

Ladybirds 3 1 3 0 7

Black Mambas 3 0 4 -9 6

Yellow Cobras 2 0 1 2 4

Onwards and upwards to the outdoor season

With pre-season behind us, it’s time to look ahead to the big events. Vienna will host the first Central/East regional Gaelic football tournament of the year on 8 April.

Schwechat’s Rudolf-Tonn Stadion will see teams from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Slovakia play and a fascinating day of competition is guaranteed.

Expectations are high in the Gaels camp, with great numbers at training and competition for places in the final squads growing fiercer by the week.